The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-04-28
Special Meeting of tho Council.

REPEAL or TIE TAX ORDINANCE.
A special meeting Of the City Council
was held on Saturday, all of the members
being present except Major Mcmahon, who
was not in the city
The object of theSmeeting was explained
to be to reconsider the tax bill adopted at
the previous regular meeting. This action
was taken in response to a request made
by many Of the merchants Of the city. A
committee, consisting Of Messrs. NJ. E
Miller, G. p Baker, and J. w. Todd, ap.
peared before the Council and presented
the following paper:
q Whereas the city Of Stanton is largely
dependentfor its prosperity onthe prosper.
ity of its merchants. inaSmuch as the bus.
mess Of the city. ls-chietiy mercantile; And
whereas, tie new ordinance recently passed
by the City Council, prescribing city taxes
is calculated TO seriously damage the mer.
camille interests OF SGaunton by imposing
burden of taxation upon the merchants
which, in The condition OF trade, they can
not bear; And whereas, the existing State
aid city system OF taxing the purchases OF
merchants, instead OF their stock or CAPT
tai, has, since its first inception, imposed
al unequal and onerouS burden of taxes
upon that class OF citizens; And whereas.
the recent Drumlners' Decision, = by the
Supreme Court OF the United States, has
made said burden OF State and city taxes
under the existing system, so much more
unequal and onerons. even than formerly
upon merchants i'll Virginia, that the Ex-
ecutiye OF the State has already wisely
recommended to the General Assembly
speedy legislation on this subject, in order
10 relieve said class of citizens: And
whereas, it is more than probable that the
General Assembly will enact such legisla-
ton at an early date. the intention of said
body in that behalf having been already
indicated by the introduction OF a bill look.
ing to that end during the last Gays OF the
session before its temporary adjournment,
though the press Of other business pre-
vented action thereon at She time; And
whereas, the system OF taxation by the city
must be based upon that by the State:
therefore
Resolred, /. That the City Council be re
quested to repeal the recently adopted tax
ordinance for l697-'SS, and that the Gen
eral Tax Ordinance for 1856 beleft in force
| until the General Assembly OF the State,
which is to reconvene on the 9th, shall
IL tti oil OfttC3
existing conditions q new law governing
merchants licenses for the State, when
the tax legislation of the city must be ad
justed and made to conform to that of the
State.
ResoEued, 2. That the City Council be
further requested to postpone the collec
ti0n OF the CITY taxes until the General
Assembly shall indicate whether CT not
they will act in the matter of merchants
license.
These resolutions were briefly urged by
Mr. Miller, and, or motion Of Mr.. Tams,
the vote by which the recent tax ordinance
was passed, was reconsidered by unani-
nous consent.
Mr.. Cochran moved that section II of
the old or dinance Regulating merchants
license) be substituted for section of the
new ordi nance. TEis was agreed to with
out objection.
Section Is Of the old ordinance was sub
sti tuted for section 10 of the new ordi
nance.
Section OF the old ordinance (regulat-
ing income tax) was readopted by the fol
lowing vote: Messrs Bargamin, Butts,
Cochran, Craig, MeQnaide, summerson,
and Oberdorfer. Messrs. Tams, Teabo.
Berkeley, and Crowle voted against it.
Mr.. Bargamin moved to strike out sec
tion 8 of the new ordinance, CIRCULATING
water tax, which was unanimousl y agreed
to.
The ordinance, as amended, was then
adopt ed as a whole, and the meeting ad
journed.
Practically. the old ordinance is readopt.
ed, with the exception of an increase ir
the general rate of taxation on real ard
personal property. from $1.10 to 81 or
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